Heartworms In Dogs – How To Treat Them
It is vitally important for a dog owner to be aware of the dangers of the parasitic Heartworm. As their name suggests, Heartworms live inside a dogs heart where they can do a lot of damage. Responsible dog owners must be alert to the risk of heart worm infestations and take appropriate preventative actions. If you think your dog has become infected you need to seek immediate medical treatment from your veterinarian.
Heartworms or “Dirofilaria Immitis” in Latin, normally live in the right ventricle of the heart Where they are able to float freely around the hearts blood vessels. The Heartworm parasite is passed along by mosquitoes through their saliva. The saliva can transmit the parasite to your dog with a single bite. So even if your dog does not come into contact with other dogs it is at risk. It is a little known fact that cats are also susceptible to the parasite.
There are generally four stages to an infestation by heart worms. Your vet would be able to prescribe available treatments based on what stage infestation your dog has.
In the first or early stage infection your dog is unlikely to show any symptoms. Even with a blood test it is unlikely that the parasite will show its ugly head. It is much easier and better for you and your dog to prevent the heart worm infestation first place. If you can keep your dog clean you it will be much easier on you and him or her, as once they reach 6 to 7 months in age, treatments can have an adverse effect.
In the second stage of infestation the Heartworms will begin to mature and make their way to the heart muscle. At this point the worm infestation will begin to be able to be picked up on x-ray. At this stage the worms will begin to do their dirty work and you may notice your dog will become short of breath or begin to develop a wheeze. This is due to damage being done to the blood vessels around your dogs heart and lungs. The greater the number of worms the quicker the damage will mount. It is unlikely that your dog will only be infected with one worm. The worms tend to multiply quite rapidly.
In the third stage of infestation you may see your dog begin to rapidly lose weight. Again, the heavier the infestation the more rapidly blood flow will be choked off. Testing at this point may reveal kidney and liver damage. You may witness fainting spells in your dog at this point. Other symptoms would be shortness of breath, lethargic behavior and in severe cases a possible heart attack.
As if a stage three infestation is not bad enough the fourth stage is not where you want this type of infestation to progress to. In the fourth and most serious stage your dog will experience what is known as Vena Cava Syndrome. At this point your dog will be in a near state of shock and will be close to death. The only option at this stage is surgery to remove the worms. Even with this extreme measure success is not guaranteed.
In summary, the best thing you can do for your dog is to prevent Heartworms from even having a chance at your dog. If you get them on a good routine early on, it is likely that you will never have to deal with this hideous problem.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I agree that prevention is the best cure! My lab has never had heart worms, and that is because I have taken preventive measures. I put him on some pills and they have done their job pretty well.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:28 am
My friends dog was having this problem, I will pass on the page link to my friend.
November 18th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
The best way to prevent this is to eliminate the places which becomes mosquitoes birth place. Most of this birthplace actually are stagnant waters from vase and etc.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
To ensure that your dog is free from heartworm parasites, preventive medication should be given especially in the early months of the dog to avoid such problem on the dog’s health the same applies on the cats.
November 28th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
[...] Prevention for Dogs..How important is pet health insurance if your dog has heartworm : HIPAA Blo..Heartworms In Dogs – How To Treat ThemDog Heartworm Disease: How Worse Can it Get?» DOG HEARTWORM MEDICINE | INFORMATION AND MORE | [...]
November 30th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I had a dog pass away from Heartworm disease about 5 years ago, and I kknow that it is a horrible condition to have. Keeping your fourlegged friend on preventatives is a must.
Jane@Ticks On Dogs´s last blog ..Ticks On Dogs – How I Got Rid Of Them
December 14th, 2009 at 2:08 am
Most heartworm medicine for dogs contains a lot of strong active ingredients. Usually, these chemicals work in treating heartworm by paralyzing the nervous systems of the parasites, in order to prevent them from further moving around your dog’s bloodstream.
May 24th, 2010 at 6:26 am
I love those large German Shepherd dogs and also those tiny Chihuahua~-~
July 13th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Good article. Hopefully most owners are aware of this deadly disease and take the precautions that you mention. To often it is easier to skip this type of routine pet health care.
Thank you.
July 19th, 2010 at 2:35 am
i really love dogs as pets because they are so adorable and very loyal pets too*’`